Trust Issues: When Proverbs Says to Chill on the Overthinking
Reading Proverbs 1–3, I found myself lingering on a short passage in chapter 3: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)
The idea of not depending on your own understanding catches my attention. In most areas of life, we’re encouraged to develop our reasoning skills, to think critically, to take responsibility for our decisions. So what does it mean to step back from that and trust something else instead? Especially something that isn’t immediately visible or measurable?
Not Anti-Thought—Just Thoughtfully Humble
This question doesn’t seem to be about abandoning thought altogether. The early chapters of Proverbs are full of praise for wisdom, learning, and discernment. So maybe it’s not a rejection of understanding, but a reminder that understanding has limits. That there are moments when logic or experience might not be enough to guide us clearly. Maybe in those moments, the writers of Proverbs are suggesting, it's better to let go of the pressure to figure everything out and follow a different kind of compass.
What’s the Compass, Anyway?
What that compass is, exactly, depends on how one interprets "the Lord." From a secular perspective, it could be seen as a symbol of larger patterns or moral intuitions, the kind of deep trust people place in what they feel is right even when they can't explain why. The phrase "seek his will in all you do" might then read as a call to humility, to acknowledging that control is limited and outcomes aren't always predictable.
Letting Go Isn’t Giving Up
There’s a paradox here. This advice is often read as a form of surrender, but it could also be a kind of strength. It takes a certain confidence to say, "I don't have all the answers, and that's okay." That approach challenges the common impulse to overanalyze or force solutions, especially when faced with uncertainty.
One Step at a Time (Even Without the Map)
I don’t know exactly what it looks like to "trust with all your heart," especially in a world that values skepticism and proof. But the idea of pausing, admitting that I might not see the whole picture, and moving forward anyway—there’s something in that I recognize. Not as a command, but as a possible practice.
These early chapters of Proverbs seem to build a foundation, not just for moral behavior but for a certain posture toward life. One where wisdom includes both effort and release. Where we seek understanding, but also leave space for what we can’t yet know.